Apparatus for treating coal-gas.



HIT CARPENTER.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING COAL E AS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG :6, 1914.

IAtented Jan. 4, 1916.

2 SHEETS--SHEET I.

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APPARATUS FOR TREATING COAL-GAS,

APPLICATION FILED AUG-6,1914.

Patented Jan.- 4, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

' lNVE NTOH em sr HENRY A. CARPENTER, OF SEWICKLEY, PENNSYLVANIA,ASSIGNOR TOfRITER-CONLEY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH,PENNSYLVANIA, A CQRPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

Original application filed May 6, 1914, Serial No. 836,677.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING GOAL-GAS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 4, 1916.

Divided andthis application --fi1er1 August 6,

1914. Serial No. 855,415.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, HENRY A. CARPENTER, acitizen of the United States, residing at Sewickley, in the county ofAllegheny and 5 State of Pennsylvania,'l1ave invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Apparatus for Treating Coal-Gas, of which theapparatus or system to which the gas is delivered from the main.

A further feature and object is to accomplish this separation after thegaseous fluid has attainedsuch temperature as results in fixing some ofthe lighter and enriching hydrocarbons into a permanent gaseous statewhich in the absence of such temperature would condense and be carriedaway with the tar. Approximately 1000 F. is an etlicient temperature forfixing the lighter hydrocarbons into a permanent gaseous state, althoughit may be higher, and even lower temperatures may sufiice.

In order that the quality of the gas delivered to the take-off main maybe substantially uniform, the gaseous fluid discharging from thestand-pipe should be maintained at a relatively constant temperature,

and this is accomplished by allotting a proper number of retorts to eachstand-pipe and by so alternating or arranging the retort chargingperiods that the resultant of the low temperature of the product offreshly charged retorts and the maximum temper-a ture of the product ofother retorts will be an efficient fixing temperature. 4

The requisite high temperature having been attained and the lighterhydrocarbons thereby fixed into permanent gaseous state beforedischarging from the stand-pipe, re-

duction of the temperature of the gaseous fluid immediately upon issuingfrom the stand-pipe is of prime importance to avoid the accumulation ofsolid deposits in the takeoff means. The temperature should be reducedto from 110 to 125 F. for the best results, and it therefore becomes'afurther object'of the invention to interpose means between thestand-pipes and the take-off main for accomplishing this immediate term60. perature reduction. The apparatus is constructed to provide readyaccess to the stand-pipes for clearing them of stoppages, and provisionis also had for disposing of the precipitated tar and otherhydrocarbons, keeping the latter clear of the stand-pipes .and of coursepreventing them from gaining access to the take-01f. The net result isthat enriched and relatively clean gas passes to the apparatus beyond,thereby minimizmg such apparatus, and otherwise reducing the expenseincident to the treatment of foul gas which, under present practices, isdelivered to the system through the hydraulic main. While the presentinvention does not accomplish the removal of all naphthalene, only' asmall percentage is carried forward. This is due to the fact that fullsaturation of the gas at 110 F. is accomplished by a small amount ofna-phthalene, whereas at higher temperatures, the absorption isproportionately greater. Heretofore, due to the relatively hightemperat'ure at which the gas enters the system, much naphthalene iscarried forward and is subsequently thrown down at points where no taris present to absorbit, causing serious stoppages. Y

A further advantageous result is that a relatively large numberofretorts may be connected to one stand-pipe, as here shown the benchesbeing eight-high, so that a single pipe handles the product of sixteenretorts. This results in economy in space and in the costof-constructing the benches. It may be possible to increase the numberof retorts for each stand-pipe, but even an eight-high construction is asubstantial advance over present practice.

In the accompanying drawings, which are largely diagrammatic, Figure lis a front elevation of apparatus embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is aView in top plan of the same. Fig. 3 is an end View, and Fig. 4 is aview in cross-section of one of the cooling 105 chambers or receiversinterposed between the ofF-take main' and the stand-pipes, and

showing one of the latter discharging thereinto.

Referringitoj the drawings, 2 designates the frontof a. bench, and 3 areretorts of t usual constructitin arranged one above the ratus beyond,not shown.

' In the preferred construction, the bottom 9 Interposed between thetake-oft main 5 and the stand-pipes 4 are the cooling chambers orreceivers 8 into which the stand pipes discharge, as clearly shown inFig. 4.

of each chamberis inclined to form the trough or valley 10, with thestand-pipes .4:

projecting through and above the inclined bottom to exclude the liquidaccumulation in the trough. At. the top of chamber 8 are valves 11 forclosing openings 11, the latter being in line vertically with thestandpipes for the introduction of pipe cleaning devices or for'gainingaccess to the standpipes for any other purpose.

The cooling means for each chamber 8 consists of a suitable number ofliquid sprayers 112 depending thereinto from the chamber top andarranged out of vertical line with the stand-pipes to minimize theamount of liquidentering the latter. closed circulating system ispreferably employed, for which no novelty per se is claimed herein, asthereby much ammonia is saved as compared with a fresh watercirculation*for the \reason that'after the coolingmsdiuni has becomesaturated, no additipnal ammonia is extracted from the gaseous ffl iidbeing treated. The circulation system nclud'es a drain 13v forconducting theftar and cooling liquor from'trough 10 to] a conventionalform of tar separator 14;, the 'tar discharging from the latter throughpipe 15 and the liquor through pipe 16 to a cooler 17, and from thelatteris forced by a pump l8 into manifold 19 from which extend pipes 20to the several spray devices 12. r

In operation, the charging and recharging of the several retorts of eachbench are so arranged and timed that some are in a comparatively freshlycharged state with the product entering the stand-pipe at comparativelylow temperatures, while the generation in other retorts is approachingcompletion with the product thereof at maximum temperature. And themanipulation is preferably such that the gaseous product asst gleedischarges from the stand-pipe at approximately 1000 E, and asheretofore plained, this temperature. results in fixingintopermanentgaseous state the lighter hydrocarbons, thereby materially enriching theultimate cleansed gas, retaining in. the latter valuable products which,due to the absence portion of the tar and also nearly all of thenaphthalene, the latter combining with the tar and the condensates andthe cooling liquid draining intotroughlO and discharging to separator 14through outlet 13, as above explained.

Chambers 8 are designed with special reference to accomplishing thedescribed cooling operation with maximum efliciency, and also .for' thepurpose of obtaining a proper withdrawal therefrom of the cleansed andcooled gas. WVith these considerations in -view, relatively shortchambers are employed, as thereby the cooling and withdrawing of the gasmay be more efiectually controlled and greater uniformity-attained thanthough a single continuous chamber for all the benches were provided. Inpractice, each chamber is preferably arranged to accommodate threestand-pipes, and with such arrangement, no difliculty has beenexperienced in maintaining the desired highly efiicient conditions abovedescribed. And this arrangement provides for more accurately controllingthe withdrawal of the cleansed and cooled gas through the valved outlets21 to take-off main 5, the valves of these connections being so adjustedas to subject all of the cooled and cleansed gas to uniform exit forcewith the result that no portion of the gas is retained within thechamber for an appreciably longer period than any other portion thereof.

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 836,677,filed May 6, 1914:.

I claim 1. The combination of a stand-pipe in communication with coalgas generating apparatus and adapted to conduct the gas upwardlytherefrom, a take-ofl' main, a cooling and main, and'means operativewithin said chamber for cooling the gas immediately upon its dischargefrom the stand-pipe andv thereby precipitating tar and otl er impuritiestherefrom before it passes: to the main.

2. The combination of a cooling chamber, a stand-pipe beneath andadapted to discharge upwardly into the chamber with the stand-pipeoutlet above the. chamber bottom, means within the upper portion of thechamber for directing a spray of liquid on the gas discharging upwardlyfrom the stand-pipe, and a take-off main in communication with the upperportion of the -chamber.

3. The combination of a cooling chamber, a stand-pipe extending upwardlyinto the chamber through the bottom of the latter with the upper end ofthe pipe open for discharging gas into the upper portion of the chamber,means withinthe chamber for subjecting the gas discharged thereinto .toa

liquid spray, a liquid outlet forthe cham- I ber located beneath theplane of the upper end of the stand-pipe, and a take-off main incommunication with theupper portion of said chamber.

4. The combination of a plurality of stand-pipes, a coolingchambergabove and common to the stand-pipes and into which the latterare adapted to discharge above the chamber bottom, a'liquid outlet forthe chamber located in a plane lower than the stand-pipe outlets, meanswithin the upper portion of the chamber for subjecting the gasdischarging from the several standpipes toa liquid spray, and a take-offmain in communication with the upper portion of said chamber 5. Thecombination with a' plurality of gas-bench stand-pipes, of a coolingchamber into which the pipes discharge, means for cooling the dischargedgas withinthe chamber and thereby precipitating the heavierhydrocarbons,and an off-take main in controlled communication with the chamber ataplurality of points for subjecting all of the cooled and cleansed gaswithin the chamber to uniform exit force.

6(The combination. with a plurality of gas-bench stand-pipes, and atake-0E main, of a cooling chamber interposed between the main andthestand-pipes and into which the latter discharges, means within thechamber for cooling the gaseous fluid dis charging from the stand-pipesand thereby tion with and adapted to discharge directly into thechamber, the chamber havlng an outlet for the cooled gas, cooling liquidinlet means for the upper portion of the chamber and a liquid outlet forthe lower portion thereof, .a conduit for the liquidv connecting thechamber inlet and outlet, and-a pump interposed in the conduit formaintaining circulation of the liquid.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

. HENRY A. CARPENTER.

Witnesses:

J. M. NESBIT,

F. E. GAITHER.

separating the heavier hydrocarbons from gas-cooling

